Diabetes research being supported by area walks

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Everyone is welcome to participate in the annual Step Out to Fight Diabetes 3-mile walk Sept. 29, part of the American Diabetes Association's national fall fundraiser.

Local walks will start at Town Green Park, located on Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands, and the Houston Downtown Aquarium, located at 410 Bagby St. at Memorial Drive. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the walks begin at 9 a.m.

Last year, 600 people participated in The Woodlands walk and raised $80,000, double the amount raised in 2005. Between the Houston and The Woodlands events, the local ADA hopes to raise $500,000, said Amy Lanier, local ADA association manager.

Registration for participants 17 years old and older is $15 pre-day event and $20 the day of event. Money raised will go towards research, education and advocacy of diabetes.

"Nearly 21 million Americans suffer from diabetes and we see it in our own area more and more," said Cyndi Alvarado, marketing and community outreach manager for Sadler Clinics, lead sponsor of The Woodlands walk. "In Montgomery County, more than 38,000 people have diabetes and another 55,000 people are estimated to be pre-diabetes."

According to the ADA, every 21 seconds a person in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes.

At the current rate, one in every three children born today will develop diabetes, Alvarado said.

"We've seen a lot of children with Type 2 diabetes as a result of sedentary lifestyles, but in the same token, we're also seeing an increase in Type 1 diabetes," Alvarado said.

Type 2 diabetes can affect anyone at any age and occurs when the body will not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin produced. Type 1 diabetes is often referred to as juvenile diabetes because it usually is diagnosed in children and young adults. It occurs when the body stops producing insulin.

"From a personal standpoint, the American Diabetes Association is a great organization that needs support," said Alvarado, whose 7-year-old daughter was diagnosed with the disease four years ago.